This invention relates to dogwood trees and particularly to the selection of a superior F.sub.1 hybrid, after the interspecific hybridization of an unnamed plant of Cornus kousa (K2).times.a plant of Cornus florida `Sweetwater` (D20).
The selection was part of a long continuing program of development of new plants of dogwood, and as far as is I am aware there has been no hybrid from the combination of C. kousa and C. florida known in the plant art.
Plants of this hybrid are vigorous and upright in habit, and floriferous. The broad, rounded, overlapping bracts are light pink and provide a floral display from about May 18 to June 2. In field trials where the plant was developed, the plants have been free of infestation by the dogwood borer and have not exhibited "dogwood decline".
The plant is susceptible of being grown wherever plants of C. kousa and C. florida are grown although they have not been tested in any widespread areas by me or under my direction.
In this program of hybridization which I have carried on for a number of years, there have been developed a substantial number of what I feel are commercially desirable dogwood trees, particularly because they exhibit their attractive bracts at times when the other known dogwoods such as C. kousa and C. florida are not so exhibiting.
In this program I have developed a number of white dogwoods as well as this particular dogwood which I have determined should be denominated as `Rutgan`, and is distinguished from the others which were developed and which are not presently patented by the fact that it is a pink-bracted dogwood.
The hybrid of my invention, has been asexually reproduced by stem cuttings so as to determine that it does in fact come true in successive generations and the pink coloration is of desirable attractiveness for commercial display in my opinion.